She
went and squealed like the little rodent she is.” Lucas kept going through the messages.
“That’s my phone,” Ivy said, tears coming
now. “You can’t do that,
Lucas. You’re invading my
privacy. This is illegal—what
you’re doing.”
Lucas just laughed, as he continued going
through her cell phone. “This is
bullshit,” he said. Suddenly he
raised his arm and whipped the phone across the room and into the wall, where
it shattered.
Ivy shrieked.
The sound was explosive.
“Now tell me where the hell Cullen went,”
he said.
“I don’t know!” she cried.
“Stop lying to me, you whore.” And then Lucas had grabbed her by the
shoulders and pushed her into the wall, and his red face was just inches from
hers. “I’m done playing around. Tell us where he is. We know he’s with Preston Sharpe.”
“You should give her a bloody nose,” the
thin man said from nearby. “Or I
can do it, if you’d prefer.”
Ivy felt a surge of terror. This was real.
They were actually doing this to her
right now.
And then there was the unmistakable sound
of the door to the house opening and footsteps entering the home.
Lucas released his grip on her and Ivy
ran away from him.
“Help!” she cried, not even knowing who
was coming inside.
Cullen emerged from the stairs, his eyes
wide, his jaw set as he saw the two men standing inside his house.
Ivy couldn’t believe how relieved she was
to see him.
But Cullen wasn’t watching her—he
was staring at the two FBI agents.
“Warrant?” he asked.
Lucas barked a laugh. “Sue me, motherfucker.”
“You know this entire house is outfitted
with a state-of-the-art security system,” Cullen said. “Cameras, audio, video,
everything.”
For the first time, Lucas and his
companion looked uncomfortable, and they exchanged glances.
“Always a con-artist,” the thin man
said. “Where’s your father? Off helping terrorists like usual?”
Cullen gave the other man a strange
smile. “You didn’t let me
finish. So, I’ve got this
state-of-the-art system and it records everything, and then those recordings go
to the cloud. I can have a nice
video of you two up on YouTube or sent to the press within minutes of you
leaving my home.” He walked further
into the room. “And I have a
feeling it wouldn’t take the higher ups at the bureau very long to send you
both packing when the press starts reporting on your break-ins and intimidation
tactics.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Lucas said. “Get rid of us, two more will just take
our place.”
“That’s right,” Cullen said, moving even
closer to the other man now. “But
you’ll still be an out-of-work jerkoff,” Cullen continued. “And that would suit me fine.”
“We’re leaving,” Lucas said.
“Good idea,” Cullen told him.
As the two agents headed for the door,
Cullen walked with them.
And then, just as they were about to exit,
Lucas chuckled and flashed Cullen a grin. “That wife of yours is really cute when she’s scared. I kind of think she gets off on it, to
be honest. You’d best keep a close
eye on that one.”
The two agents shared a laugh, and then
opened the door to leave the house.
As Lucas walked, Cullen stuck his foot
out and tripped him, while simultaneously pushing him from behind.
The momentum carried Lucas headfirst into
the wall, and he collapsed into a heap on the ground. The thin man rushed to Lucas’s side and
Cullen slapped the man across the face, very hard.
The thin man blinked, staring in shock at
Cullen. “You just assaulted two federal
agents. I’ll have your ass in a
cell.”
“I have every right to defend myself if
two strange men break into my home illegally and threaten my wife and my
property. I’m happy to have that
conversation in public and the courts.”
“You’re going down,” the thin man said,
touching his own cheek as if it
went and squealed like the little rodent she is.” Lucas kept going through the messages.
“That’s my phone,” Ivy said, tears coming
now. “You can’t do that,
Lucas. You’re invading my
privacy. This is illegal—what
you’re doing.”
Lucas just laughed, as he continued going
through her cell phone. “This is
bullshit,” he said. Suddenly he
raised his arm and whipped the phone across the room and into the wall, where
it shattered.
Ivy shrieked.
The sound was explosive.
“Now tell me where the hell Cullen went,”
he said.
“I don’t know!” she cried.
“Stop lying to me, you whore.” And then Lucas had grabbed her by the
shoulders and pushed her into the wall, and his red face was just inches from
hers. “I’m done playing around. Tell us where he is. We know he’s with Preston Sharpe.”
“You should give her a bloody nose,” the
thin man said from nearby. “Or I
can do it, if you’d prefer.”
Ivy felt a surge of terror. This was real.
They were actually doing this to her
right now.
And then there was the unmistakable sound
of the door to the house opening and footsteps entering the home.
Lucas released his grip on her and Ivy
ran away from him.
“Help!” she cried, not even knowing who
was coming inside.
Cullen emerged from the stairs, his eyes
wide, his jaw set as he saw the two men standing inside his house.
Ivy couldn’t believe how relieved she was
to see him.
But Cullen wasn’t watching her—he
was staring at the two FBI agents.
“Warrant?” he asked.
Lucas barked a laugh. “Sue me, motherfucker.”
“You know this entire house is outfitted
with a state-of-the-art security system,” Cullen said. “Cameras, audio, video,
everything.”
For the first time, Lucas and his
companion looked uncomfortable, and they exchanged glances.
“Always a con-artist,” the thin man
said. “Where’s your father? Off helping terrorists like usual?”
Cullen gave the other man a strange
smile. “You didn’t let me
finish. So, I’ve got this
state-of-the-art system and it records everything, and then those recordings go
to the cloud. I can have a nice
video of you two up on YouTube or sent to the press within minutes of you
leaving my home.” He walked further
into the room. “And I have a
feeling it wouldn’t take the higher ups at the bureau very long to send you
both packing when the press starts reporting on your break-ins and intimidation
tactics.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Lucas said. “Get rid of us, two more will just take
our place.”
“That’s right,” Cullen said, moving even
closer to the other man now. “But
you’ll still be an out-of-work jerkoff,” Cullen continued. “And that would suit me fine.”
“We’re leaving,” Lucas said.
“Good idea,” Cullen told him.
As the two agents headed for the door,
Cullen walked with them.
And then, just as they were about to exit,
Lucas chuckled and flashed Cullen a grin. “That wife of yours is really cute when she’s scared. I kind of think she gets off on it, to
be honest. You’d best keep a close
eye on that one.”
The two agents shared a laugh, and then
opened the door to leave the house.
As Lucas walked, Cullen stuck his foot
out and tripped him, while simultaneously pushing him from behind.
The momentum carried Lucas headfirst into
the wall, and he collapsed into a heap on the ground. The thin man rushed to Lucas’s side and
Cullen slapped the man across the face, very hard.
The thin man blinked, staring in shock at
Cullen. “You just assaulted two federal
agents. I’ll have your ass in a
cell.”
“I have every right to defend myself if
two strange men break into my home illegally and threaten my wife and my
property. I’m happy to have that
conversation in public and the courts.”
“You’re going down,” the thin man said,
touching his own cheek as if it
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